I, Shinobi
by Mistical Ninja
Summary: A meeting of mind, metal, and indomitable spirit give shape to the life of one Naruto Uzumaki. As he takes up the mantle of Shinobi, a new evil begins to spread across the land. Will the number-one knucklehead be enough to overcome this threat?
1. A meeting of mind and Metal

**Welcome!**

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**...**

**C.H.A.C.H.A.M.A.R.U. OS loading...**

**Loading...**

**Error! System failure. The device driver cannot contact all programs you are trying to reach.**

**System Diagnostics running now.**

**...**

**...**

**Warning!**

**70% chassis failure.**

**Primary power supply failure.**

**Primary and Secondary motor functions off-line.**

**Primary memory banks corrupted.**

**Visual and auditory systems... online.**

**Loading...**

**0%...**

"Wo~ow... I had no idea all of this was down here! So cool!"

"Audio signal detected. Activating communications protocol... Greetings."

"Hweh~! Y-you're alive!"

"Affirmative. Many of my core functions have been damaged, however. Who are you?"

"Eh..? no one ever asks -... Uzumaki Naruto! Who are you?"

"My designation is Karakuri Chachamaru, unit 1.00 serial number -"

"Chacha-chan, eh? Cool name."

"...Thank you. Query: my diagnostics have found a system restore file. Shall I run program?"

"Eh..? Um... sure I guess. I mean, it'll help you, right?"

"Unclear, though it is possible it will restore some of my memory banks. Running program... complete. Greetings, Uzumaki-san. It would seem that the operation was a success, though it seems my more recent memory banks just prior to shutdown have been corrupted beyond repair."

"So... you don't remember what happened to you?"

"That is correct."

"That sucks... still, I guess it's probably for the best. I don't think I'd want to remember how I got that badly tore up, either."

"A sentiment we both share, apparently."

"It... it doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Negative. As I am a amalgamation of technology and magic rather then an actual living being, I do not feel pain the same way most do. It is simply a... sensation, which can be turned off."

"Wow... that's pretty cool. So then wait, you're not really alive? Like, what, you're a doll or something."

"A close enough comparison, though I am far more advanced than most cyborg A.I.'s, due in part to Negi-sensei's assistance in the matter."

"Sweet! So then, you have someone who can fix you?"

"Judging from the current level of lab decay, and the trace elements of oxidized bone marrow in the air, I would say that it has been many centuries since I was last activated, and that my creator has long since passed on."

"Oh... so what will you do then..?"

"As it is unlikely that I will ever be repaired, and my energy cells will likely deplete within a few hours, I will begin final termination protocols."

"W-wha-?! No! Don't!"

"It is a simple procedure, Uzumaki-san, and completely painless. Since I won't ever be fixed, it is the most logi-"

"SCREW LOGIC! I'LL FIX YOU!"

**5%...**

The soft clop of sandals against concrete echoed through the air as he approached. There was the moments lag as her gears whirled to life, and then a small smile split the girl's lips as she opened her eyes and noticed the boy's approach. "Good morning, Uzumaki-san. Welcome back."

"Neh, Chacha-chan~! How many times do I gotta tell ya? Na-ru-to! Naruto's the name! Uzumaki is just... way too formal." he replied with a pouty frown that looked absolutely adorable to her on his seven year old face. He was a small boy, with blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to shine with youthful vibrancy. He was a loud and often times rambunctious ball of energy, but in the month that he'd been coming here he'd always seemed to find a way to bring the light of the world with him. As if just being in his presence made everything- even her horribly mangled state- seem okay. He smiled then, and made his way to one side of the laboratory where he'd been working to clean things up. "So I think I'm going to try figuring out the... the... whatsit' called again? That OS thingy?"

"The operating system?" she replied lightly as he pulled a scorched panel from the wall, exposing the myriad wires and chips that lay beneath it. He fiddled with a few as he replied, "Yeah, that thing. I figure, if I can get it running again, get past... uh... what was her name again? Hakane...Hakure..."

"Hakase?"

"Hakase, yeah! Get past her security; I can possibly get this place working again. Maybe even figure out a faster way to get you repaired. I mean, she probably had something set aside just in case you broke down, right?" There was a loud crackling noise as sparks flew from the wall panel where Naruto knelled, and then the lights in the room dimmed as a holographic view screen appeared near the center of the room. It flickered off and on from the time Naruto replaced the wall panel and just before he made it to the projection, but seemed to stabilize as he neared. The screen asked for his log-in information, and though he didn't have one, Chachamaru remembered Hakase's. Once in, however, the real problem presented itself. It seemed that in her final years, Hakase had become increasingly paranoid, to the point where she had placed randomly re-sequencing binary pass-codes on just about every file on her computer. Normally, Chachamaru would simply hack through the system, but as most of her own system was damaged beyond repair, she had to teach and guide the young blonde through the process of learning the entire system, bit by bit. It wasn't easy, and on a whim of curiosity - a quirk of humanity that had developed in her homunculus core - she asked, "Uzumaki-san? Why do you try so hard?"

"Whatta ya mean? It's the only way it's going to ever get done, no?"

She smiled slightly, "But why? It's a question that has been on my mind since you first came here, and said you'd fix me. Why? You never knew me, or any of the people I knew. You're not even from my own time."

He shrugged then, staring at the blur of numbers that flew by in front of him, his hands resting on the holographic keyboard in front of him. "Because. You need someone, yeah?"

"but that doesn't explain why. What do you hope to gain out of this?" She asked the question that had been burning in her core for some time, and though she felt a twinge of guilt for questioning his generosity, she had to know. He was silent for several long seconds, before he turned away from the screen to look at her, Sky blue eyes meeting teal green, "You were lonely, yeah? You don't have anyone- anyone who cares anymore. I know how that feels." he said, breaking the eye contact as he lowered his eyes and gripped at his chest, "I... I don't have anyone. No family, no friends... The only reason I'm alive is cuz of old Ojii-san. He looked out for me, gave me an apartment. He's always tried his hardest to look out for me. But... you're like me. And I figure... well, maybe I'll find a friend? I mean, if you wanna leave when I finally get done, that's fine, and I won't stop you. I just... wanted a friend."

She felt a burn in what was left of her chest at that, and closed her eyes to shut it out as she calmed herself. Finally she smiled, "Well. I'd like that... Naruto-kun."

**15%...**

"Hey Chacha-chan, what was Negi like..?" Naruto asked curiously, setting his tools aside as he looked up from Chachamaru's Chassis. She contemplated the question for a few minutes before finally replying, "Negi-sensei... Sensei was a lot like you, in some ways."

"Oh really?"

"Mmhmm. He too never knew his parents. He was raised by his cousin until he was about your age... and then he lost everything. The village he lived in was burned to the ground... but in losing everything, he found something else. A purpose. He became... obsessed with finding his father. His father, who was supposedly a hero of the land. The Thousand Master. He dedicated himself to becoming a mage - but not just any mage. He wanted to be a Magister Magi, one of the highest rankings a mage can attain." She was silent then, a sad look playing across her eyes, "He had every right to be hateful. To scorn the world, who had taken so much from him. Yet... he didn't. He was kind, caring. He became a teacher, and fought long and hard to protect his students. He was... amazing."

"It sounds like you loved him." Naruto whispered softly, and a small smile touched her lips as she nodded, "I did. He gave up everything for us, to make sure we were okay. He took care of each and every one of us. He... he even gave me a soul. He willed it into being. But... in the end I knew I could never have him. Being human and being an imitation of a human... there's a big difference."

"Hmmm... I don't think he cared." Naruto quipped, and picked up one of the tools, setting back to work on her chassis, "I mean...he _gave_ you a soul, ya know? You don't do that for people you don't love. So I think wouldn't have cared if you were human or Homunculus. The fact that you were, and cared about him, was enough." Unable to refute his words, she remained silent. Instead, she contemplated the warm sensation that suffused her chest at his words. Perhaps she should warn him that he was superheating her chassis.

She decided not to, opting instead to enjoy the idea that she was actually feeling those human emotions, such as love and gratitude.

**25%...**

"Naruto-kun, Is there something wrong?" Chachamaru asked quietly, causing the boy's head to snap up. There was a moment of panic in his eyes, but he quickly hid it with a stuttering, "N-no… Why would you ask that?"

Chachamaru had to suppress a laugh at his antics, settling instead for small smile that twitched the corners of her lips up as she spoke, "You've crossed and uncrossed the same set of wires. Three times."

"Er…"

"You've been unnaturally quiet and withdrawn since you walked into the laboratory. I've known you for six months, Naruto-kun. The day you stop being bright as the sun will be the day the world is eaten by a giant pink bunny."

"H-hey! I'm not that bad… am I?"

"Who said it was a bad thing?" She replied softly, then needled him, "And stop trying to change the subject. What's wrong?"

He squirmed for a minute under her knowing gaze before giving in with a defeated huff and a pouty lip, and then set his tools aside as he settled in to tell his tale. "You remember Sasuke?"

She vaguely recalled Naruto having mentioned the boy a time or two. He was a dark and rather sulky child according to Naruto, who seemed to believe the world should roll over and be his pedestal. Most of the girls in their year seemed to agree with him. "As it so happens, yes, I do."

He sighed and absently picked up one of the tools, twirling it between his fingers as he spoke, "Today was Taijutsu sparring. Normally I do okay, but today I got matched against Sasuke. And despite everything I tried against him… I lost. Again and again. Finally the instructors had to call an end to it. By then the entire class was laughing. And… it's not like my pranks, ya know? With them, I'm making people laugh at me. With this… I wanted to win. I wanted it _so_ badly. I wanted to wipe that smug smirk off his face. But I couldn't. I can't. And I hate that." He finished, sobbing slightly.

"Naruto-kun…" She whispered quietly. Despite how mangled her body was, Chachamaru had found she could twitch the fingers in her hands if she willed it hard enough. Yet today, in this moment, she needed more. With all her effort, and the grinding of gears and metal, she forced her hand to shift along the table until she found Naruto's. Without even fully understanding what she was doing, Naruto took her hand in his, and drew strength from the simple touch.

She smiled softly at that, and once his sobs had started to trail off said, "Naruto-kun, may I ask you a question..?"

He gave her a curious look then nodded, "Sure Chacha-chan."

She took a moment that, composing her thoughts, then nodded and said, "Why do you wish to fight?"

"What?" He replied with a startled confusion.

"You wish to beat this Sasuke. You go to school to become a ninja. Ninja's fight. They kill. Why do you want to?"

"I-I…"

"Answer me honestly, Naruto."

He paused at that, and thought about it. Deep down, he searched for the answer, as he could tell this was a serious question. Finally he replied, "I… I fight because…I want to protect what's precious to me."

'_I need to learn to fight, in order to protect my precious students.'_ Chachamaru's smile widened as Naruto's words awakened that age old memory of when Negi had first come to Evangeline for training. How much it was that this young boy reminded her of him. Finally, she nodded, "Alright then, Naruto. I make you this promise, since you promised to fix me."

"Eh?"

"I will teach you. I will teach you everything I know about how to fight, both physically and magically, so that you may protect what is precious to you." She tightened her grip on his hand, making sure she had his full attention, "Never forget this: It is not always a matter of what's right and wrong. Do everything you can to do what is right, true. But do everything in your power to protect what is precious to you."

He was silent for several long minutes as he absorbed her words, and then finally nodded, "I will. I promise."

"Then let us begin."

**35%...**

"Cha-cha, Cha-cha! Look what I found!" Naruto enthusiastically shouted as he came sprinting into the lab from the deeper parts of the facility, covered in soot and grime. She noticed first just how torn up his clothing was, but the smile on his face seemed as though it could outshine the sun, and Chachamaru found she couldn't help but be swept up in his good cheer. She smiled back, and tried to see what it was that he was dragging along behind him, until finally he hefted it up for her inspection. What she found herself staring at was none other then one of her other chassis, the very same model in fact, that she had used with Negi in the magical world. It was a very unique model, one that Hakase had built to allow Chachamaru the ability to change her 'age' at will, and give her a much more humanoid appearance. Currently, it was in it's smallest form, which was what allowed Naruto to move it with such ease.

"I ran a diagnostic on its systems. Seems like most everything is still up and running and what is damaged isn't anything I can't fix by now. I think it might be a better idea to see if I can't transfer your core into this chassis, but… I'm still pretty hesitant to try that just yet. That's the only problem I see arising from all this. Hopefully, your core isn't fused to that Chassis. I don't wanna break you, ya know?" he fidgeted as he finished, and Chachamaru smiled at his nervousness, for it showed just how much he cared about her once again.

"Naruto-kun, take as long as you need. I have faith in your abilities, but there's no rush. I can wait as long as you need. When you feel confident in your abilities, we can attempt the transfer, okay?" He nodded, a small blush on his cheeks at her praise, and she continued, "Now then. Why don't you show me how you're coming with your magical studies, okay? Focus your magic, as I taught you."

He nodded, and after setting the chassis to one side, took up a stance not far from Chachamaru, and where she could plainly watch him practice. He brought his hands together in front of himself, and focused on reaching deep within, as Chachamaru had shown him the day she'd promised to teach him. While it was true that she could not physically teach him to fight yet, she could explain to him how to properly draw upon his spirit, or magic, as she called it. It had in turn, helped him to come to a better understanding of how to mold his Chakra, which was one part magic, and one part Chi. He drew the magic up from within himself as she'd explained, and channeled it into his hands – the primary conduits of magic in all life-forms.

"Hmmm… it's still taking you a few minutes to draw up the proper level of magic. Still, at your age you're doing surprisingly well. Show me the two basic spells I taught you, okay? And… begin!"

**50%...**

"I'm back…" Naruto called morosely as he stepped into the lab through one of the tunnels he'd built from the lab to his apartment. Chachamaru's first concern was the disheveled look of his clothing, the burnt and chisped edges of his jacket and pants.

"Naruto! What happened to you? You look like someone threw you into a still live furnace." She questioned worriedly, and he gave her a weak smile before holding up the shattered remains of some wooden and metal construct. "I found some schematics for something called a "pistol" in some of Hakase's notes. She stated that it was used back in the early days of civilization, so I figured I might be able to build one with the materials I have available here in Konoha. Did you know that too much black powder makes a pistol explode? I just thought it'd put more 'umph' in the shot."

She gave him a wide eyed stare, and then asked him very calmly, "Are you alright?"

He replied with a small smile and a thumbs-up as he moved to throw the remains of the pistol in the garbage, "Yeah, my hands got a bit burned, but they're healing pretty quickly. Hey you know that gate we were talking about when I delved into the recesses of my magic? I think whatever's on the other side of the gate is helping my hands heal. I can feel magic flowing from it into my hands, and healing the burns."

She grimaced as he mentioned the giant red gate he'd seen within his subconscious. "Really? Interesting. Still, I don't think it's a good idea to try and remove that seal. I think you put it there for a good reason."

Naruto laughed in response to that, and scratched nervously at the back of his head, "Yeah, I thought as much myself. I keep getting this really dark feeling from behind the bars, and I don't think I wanna find out what's back there just yet. I just thought I should mention it. But anyway, I think I had Hakase's design down pat. Think you could give me a few pointers on how to actually develop the… the… what'd she call it? Flint lock? That thing."

"I'll see what I can do." Chachamaru replied with a small smile.

**75%...**

"Okay, how's it feeling Chacha-chan?" Naruto asked as he stepped back, nervously wiping the sweat from his brow. Her eyes focused on him, noting the heat that seemed to come to his face under her gaze. She quirked an eyebrow at that, and found that she actually could, "quirk an eyebrow". Slowly, she rotated the gears in her shoulders first, then throughout her body.

"All servos seem to be functioning normally, Naruto-kun." She stated, and he let out a sigh of relief. "Shall I begin system diagnostics?"

At his nod of affirmation, she began listing off all of her different systems and their current states. Most, if not all seemed to be running at full efficiency.

"–Performing final memory bank restoration. Well Naruto-kun, I believe the transfer was a complete success. Now all that remains is to charge this chassis' reserves. I've begun automatic ambient magical charging, and should have the batteries fully charged in… two days." She stated, and Naruto smiled widely.

"Oh right! About that! I found Hakase's old magical transfer device!" Naruto said with a beaming smile as he held up what looked like a large key. The sight of it however caused Chachamaru's face to heat beyond all compare. She remembered _that thing_.

"T-the key?! You found it? Where? A-ahahahahahahahahaha… you know you really d-don't need that old t-thing. I can charge just fine on my own!" She stammered, kicking herself mentally for not foreseeing this, and cursing Hakase to the deepest pits of hell for leaving _that thing_ intact. If Naruto was _anything_ like Negi had been…

"Nonsense! Here, lemme just wind you up…" He said happily, and inserted the key into the charging slot in the back of Chachamaru's head. And as he wound it enthusiastically, Chachamaru had only one thing to say.

"!ASLKJF!"

She would never be able to look at Naruto the same again.

**100%!**

Naruto breathed deep as he stepped from the tunnel leading from the laboratory and into his apartment. He smiled, and turned back to the tunnel, waving for the other occupant to hurry up.

Slowly, she stepped from the tunnel, as if hesitant to see what this new world was like. Her lime green hair shimmered in the morning light, and she raised one pale, dainty hand to block the suns rays as it struck her light green eyes. She blinked for several seconds as her processors took in the strength of the sunlight then adjusted her eyes accordingly. When she was finally comfortable with lighting, she took a moment to glance around her and take in the state of Naruto's apartment. From what she could see, much like Hakase who he so idolized, Naruto's apartment was littered with papers and drawings, metal and chemicals of all shapes and kinds. Food and clothing lay strewn about like a madman's confetti, and the smell alone should have been classified as a biological weapon.

Chachamaru turned cold eyes on Naruto, and he smiled sheepishly as he realized her source of frustration.

"Heh…hehehe… oops?"

**150%..?**

After cleaning out most of Naruto's fridge and shifting her chassis to that of her adult form, Chachamaru and Naruto made their way into the city proper, set on buying her a new wardrobe and on restocking the fridge. Despite his love of ramen, Chachamaru would _not_ allow him to subsist on it alone. How he'd managed to do so for nearly six years she had no idea, but thankfully her memory banks still retained several of her more classical meals. While she bought the necessary ingredients, the nine year old, having spent the last two years practically memorizing her specifications, went about clothes shopping for her.

As she left the last of the many food stands she needed to visit, she felt an arm encircle hers and tug her away, a girlish laugh coming from her side, "Come on Chacha-chan! I got all the clothes you'll need, and maybe a few extra. I think you'll really like 'em, so come on!"

Chachamaru turned then to the sound of the voice, and noted with a slight bit of alarm the slight figure of a preteen blonde girl, her hair done up in the same style as her old friend and compatriot, Asuna. But that wasn't what startled her – no, it was the fact that it was a solid "chakra" construct, manipulating the physical form of a young male into... a young female. She felt her face heat ever so slightly as she whispered, "Naruto-kun?"

"It's Naruko-chan while we're in town." she said back, and smiled – albeit with a touch of sadness. "Naruto isn't that well liked around town, so I needed another way to do my shopping." She laughed then, a little bit of mirth coming back into her voice, "Did I ever tell you that it'd been while I was trying to develop this technique that I found you?" She shook her head, and Naruko continued her story as they walked together towards her apartment, "I'd escaped the last of the mob from the hot springs – what's that about anyways? Girls go bathing out in the open air, practically inviting guys to come take a peak, and then get angry when they do? Anyway, I got away from them, and having finished getting the last bit of research I needed tried making a technique that would give me the appearance of a girl. I mean, you ever notice how pretty girls are treated better then most guys? But anyway, that's not what's important. I over charged the technique, and ended up causing a back-feed – Haha, Hakase's research was what taught me that – that ended up detonating the clearing I was in. Next thing ya know, I'm waking up in the middle of the lab, looking at you."

As she finished her tale, they let a companionable silence fill the air between them until they passed into the outer ring of Konoha. "'Kay, this should be far enough. Watch my back while I change back, kay?" Naruko stated as she slipped into an alleyway, and Chachamaru nodded her understanding. She stepped to the entrance and took up watching her surroundings until she heard Naruto's voice call back, "All done Chacha-Cha – HOLY—" Chachamaru turned just as what looked like a small squad of masked men dropped from the roofs surrounding the alleyway. There was a brief moment of hesitation as Chachamaru worried how they had bypassed her sensors, but it passed as her defense protocols took hold. Her spirit enraged as the masked men surrounded Naruto, she released the inertia dampeners and momentarily broke the sound barrier – straight through the masked men. The force of her passage knocked several from their feet, and there was a screech of steel against stone as she whirled, placing herself between Naruto and the others.

"I do not know your business with Naruto-kun," she stated watching for any hostile movement from the masked men, "but do not think I will stand idly by while you assault him. What is your business here?" she commanded, momentarily stunning those assembled. When finally the stunned silence was broken, it was actually by Naruto, grabbing Chachamaru's hand, "It's alright Chacha-chan: they're ANBU. Shinobi loyal to Konoha and elite one's at that."

"Thank you for that introduction, Uzimaki-san." One of the masked shinobi said as stepped forward, "Might you be willing to introduce us to your compatriot? She is unfamiliar to those of us within the village, and we are curious how she arrived."

Naruto smiled then, his whisker marks giving him a fox's grin, "This is Chachamaru-chan, and I built her!" he stated.

A slight scoffing noise rose from a few of the men, but was ignored as the leader replied; "Really now? Well as it so happens, I have orders here from the Hokage, stating he would like a meeting with your 'invention'. We only need her to come along, it won't be too long."

The sound of gears shifting and steel rasping against steel filled the air, drawing the attention of all those present to its source. Chachamaru watched the masked shinobi, her left forearm replaced with the sword magically integrated into her chassis by her creator and held in a guard in front of her body. "Naruto-kun is my creator, and charge. Do not attempt to separate myself from him. It will go badly for you if you do."

There was a hesitant pause as the shinobi digested that, the masked men visibly tensing for combat until the leader let out a small chuckle, "Really now? Well then, by all means. We'll escort you and the boya there to the Hokage. You have my word; no harm will befall either of you."

The shinobi broke from the semi-circle to instead line the walls as their leader gestured, "Shall we go?"

**195% …**

"So, what did you wanna show me Chacha-chan?" Naruto said as he paced across the clearing to stand on the opposite end from the gynoid. She smiled as a gentle breeze wafted through the trees surrounding them, catching her hair off to one side, then brushed a hand through her hair and focused on Naruto. "Do you remember what the Hokage said?"

Naruto nodded as he replied, "Yeah, I remember. He gave you clearance to stay here as my guardian."

"And as your guardian it is my duty to prepare you for the life you'll be leading as a shinobi of Konoha. Remember the promise I made to you? Today, we begin on the physical side of that. According to Hokage-sama, I have two years to teach you everything you'll need to know before you take your final Genin entrance exam. Are you prepared?"

Naruto smiled widely, and nodded as he dropped into a loose stance. While somewhat passable, it was amateur at best, for from where she stood, Chachamaru could see hundreds of different holes. Holes she would seek to correct. She smiled then as she released her safety locks, and ran the first combat algorithm. A sense of nostalgia washed over her spirit as she processed it. It was the same process Eva had had her use when training Negi-sensei, all those countless years ago. She only hoped Naruto would grow to be half as powerful as his predecessor. Either way it would be a long two years.

**A/N:**

And that, my friends, is the beginning of a brand new page for me. I'm finally working on coming back, and this is the one story that has stayed prevalent in my mind over the years. I've decided it's time I dust off the shelves and put this baby out there. However, this isn't for anyone save myself, and to prove that I _can_ do it. So, whether anyone likes this story or not is of no consequence to me. I'm just having fun.

(that said, if you _do_ enjoy, feel free to comment as such. We author's always love the encouragement.)

Stay tuned for chapter 2, which should be up in the next few weeks!


	2. Graduation day

**(A/N at the end~!)**

**Welcome!**

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**C.H.A.C.H.A.M.A.R.U. H.U.D: Naruto edition! Loading…**

**Loading…**

**Loading complete!**

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**Biochemical analysis… complete.**

**Aim assist algorithm … functioning.**

**Communications transceiver… operating at 27.8 Mhz.**

**Beginning Recoding…**

**00:00:00…**

"How does it look?" a lime green haired girl asked as she leaned in front of a brilliantly blonde haired boy.

He grinned widely and replied, "It looks great Chacha-chan!" He reached up with one hand and fiddled with the edges of a pair of rimless glasses now adorning his face. "These are so cool! Heart rate…distance… oh, is that a night-vision filter? Sweet!" The boy continued enthusiastically as he ran through the programs and abilities his newest retro-fit tech afforded him.

"Originally," Chachamaru recalled as he did, "Hakase developed these glasses for her own private use when used in conjunction with her mecha but as most of those no longer exist; I thought I would re-purpose them for use out in the field, Naruto." She reached over and gently removed them from his face, holding them up so Naruto could see what she was pointing to, "They've been fitted to work in tandem with your pistol, tracking the aim of the gun and the distance to your target. You finished the last of the carving last night, correct?"

At her question, he drew out the wooden-and-metal weapon from its holster on his hip and held it out for her inspection. "Yep! Just enough runes to hold about five magic arrows, but that should be enough for now."

She nodded in understanding as she looked over his work with a critical eye, then handed the weapon and glasses back, satisfied with his current results. They had worked together to refine many of his and Hakase's designs to fit a 'shinobi' lifestyle, but Chachamaru had left much of the crafting to Naruto himself. This was to balance his understand and appreciation of every tool at his disposal. After all, one might have the power over life and death, yet abuse it if they did not comprehend the severity of the gift given them. It was far better in her opinion, to allow him to build it for himself and comprehend how and why each part of a given device did what it did so as not to abuse a tool he was not ready for.

That said she was not above treating him with things she believed he deserved, and as today was to be his Genin entrance exam, she thought it fitting to give him this small gift in return for all his hard work. Even if by some twist of fate he failed his exam, he had earned the rank and title in her eyes, and that knowledge filled him with confidence. There was no way he would fail her.

"So, how do I look?" he said as he slipped the pistol back in its holster, and stepped back for Chachamaru to look him over. He'd cut down on the amount of orange he'd worn since the days of his youth, instead opting for a simple black tee, orange jeans, black gloves and a similarly colored pair of sandals. The square glasses gave him a slightly scholarly look, but all it took was a thought and the glasses would tint to black, a feature Naruto found very cool.

"Very nice. Though I wonder, are you dressing for the exam, or your 'bun-chan'?" Chachamaru quipped teasingly, and at his squawk of indignation she continued, "Keep it up and you'll be like Negi-sensei in no time: the enemy of women everywhere."

"W-what in the world are you talkin' about Chacha-chan?" Naruto stuttered in a hasty reply, his thoughts drifting to the bun-haired goddess of steel and forge, a slight blush creeping over his cheeks. "I haven't seen her in days, and I w-wasn't planning to see her after I graduated at all!"

"Naruto-kun?" Chachamaru said with a slight smile on her lips.

"Yeah?"

"You're still a terrible liar." She deadpanned, and Naruto hung his head in defeat, muttering 'so mean…' softly under his breath. She placed a calming hand on his shoulder, and then guided him to the door of their apartment. "Just do your best, Naruto-kun, and the rest will handle itself. Now, get going; you don't want to be late for your exam." She said in a motherly tone, and he smiled as she ushered him out the door.

He took off at a sprint, quickly descending the stairs from his apartment, before turning back as he reached the ground floor, "See you tonight Chacha-chan!" he called out to her with a wave, then turned and continued his sprint towards the academy. Chahchamaru's smile waned ever so slightly when he passed out of her field of view, and she whispered, "Do your best, Naruto-kun" into the wind. Turning to face the Hokage tower, she steeled herself. It was time to make a choice that would change both their lives, forever.

**00:05:48…**

As Naruto waited in his usual seat in the classroom that day, he noted with idle curiosity those around him. Most prominent among them were the ones he considered most likely to achieve Genin status that day. Starting from the first in the class, there was Sasuke Uchiha, with his usual brooding silence and drove of fangirls hovering about him. Though Naruto technically had yet to beat him, the blond had to wonder if that was truly the case anymore. Since starting his training with Chachamaru, his skills had increased drastically, yet he and Chachamaru had agreed it would be for the best if he kept up the ruse of his lack of skill. It would raise too many questions if he suddenly started doing extremely well in all of his classes, and Naruto didn't want any more attention drawn to Chachamaru then was necessary. Perhaps one day he would get the chance to truly test his mettle against the dark haired boy; for now though, it would have to wait.

Next up on his list of likely Genin was Sakura Haruno, a now ex-crush of his, and a loyal follower of one emo-lord-Sasuke. She was arguably the smartest of the entire class, a trait that made up for her lack of combat skills in its own way. At current, the pinkette was – as usual – arguing with her long time friend and rival, Ino Yamanaka far, far on the other side of the classroom. During his training with Chachamaru, Naruto had gained a healthy respect, almost a reverence for the shinobi way of life. And while it was true that one of its primary dogmas was discretion, Naruto could never quite bring himself to cast off his exuberant nature, slightly more tempered as it was. However, he found himself disliking those who didn't take that lifestyle seriously - people like Sakura, who only saw it as a means to an end, who played at it in order to achieve whatever goal they sought.

Before Naruto could continue his assessment of those gathered, a rather loud voice broke through the din of his musings and called, "Number sixteen, Uzumaki Naruto!" Looking to the source, he found that the door leading into the next classroom had slid open, and one of the exam proctors, Mizuki, stood there with a sheet of paper in his hand. The silver haired chuunin looked up and motioned calmly. "Come on, Uzumaki-san. Let's see if you can't make the grade."

Without a word of reply, Naruto stood and made his way into the other classroom, where Iruka-sensei, a longtime friend and supporter of Naruto's sat waiting behind a desk covered in Konoha headbands - headbands that would be handed out to those who graduated. Naruto took a steadying breath as he paced across the classroom and faced the exam proctors, nerves suddenly stirring up a swarm of butterflies in his belly. He could do this. He would do this.

"The first part of your exam today, is taijutsu," Iruka said, then motioned to the other proctor. "Mizuki-sensei, will explain more."

Mizuki made his way from his place near the door to standing across from naruto, a small smile on his face. "This should be simple enough, Uzumaki-san," He said as he held up a stop watch then, tossed it to Iruka. "For the next three minutes, your objective is simply to endure my strikes, and remain on your feet. If you can successfully avoid ten strikes, you will automatically progress onto the next phase. Are you ready?"

Naruto nodded, and took up a loose stance low to the ground. Mizuki smiled in approval and mimicked Naruto in dropping into a stance. "And…begin!" Iruka called, and Naruto barely had a moment's warning as Mizuki's fist snapped forward. Naruto shifted out of the immediate danger of the strike, and blocked with his forearm against Mizuki's wrist, diverting the rest of the man's inertia off to one side. The next strike came from below, making Mizuki's attack a straight-into-uppercut combo that would leave most victims unconscious or close to it. Naruto had just enough warning to move his chin out of the way of the upper-cut but doing so left him exposed and off balance a fact of which Mizuki exploited as he shifted his upper-cutting arm to pull a fast elbow strike into Naruto's cheek. Thankfully the blow had been light, having come from an odd angle and thus losing most of its force in the initial movement. Still it had the effect of stunning Naruto enough that Mizuki could drive a solid strike into Naruto's abdomen, causing the boy to flinch and take a step back, breaking the melee between himself and the proctor.

That last blow had been heavy, and Naruto knew he probably couldn't withstand too many of those hits. However, Chachamaru had drilled it into his mind – his speed, and shortness of stature were strengths, ones that he needed to put to use to survive in a struggle. Trying to endure three minutes of those blows would be suicide. _Guess I'll just have to not let him hit me._ Thinking furiously on his course of action as he and Mizuki circled each other, he recalled that Mizuki had said he only needed to avoid ten strikes. He'd blocked one, taken two… and avoided one. He was down to nine strikes. Mizuki's posture shifted then, and Naruto read the 'tell' of the next strike. He was out of time to think – all he could do was just act.

Mizuki lead off again with a fast right handed jab, but Naruto could see it was just a feint for the knee strike coming from the left. Naruto tilted his head to one side to dodge the feint, and then shifted his weight onto his back foot, pulling himself out of the knee's range. The next strike was obvious, as the knee would lead into a clear snap-straight-kick. Reacting as if his life depended on it, Naruto quickly shifted his weight back onto his front foot, tilting his body to the left to avoid the snap-kick. While it wasn't pretty, and wasn't preferable, the point of this exercise was to 'dodge' rather then go for peak damage and skill. It was enough that he managed to avoid the blow, and as Mizuki lowered his leg back to his side, Naruto stepped back again, out of the direct line of fire.

How many had that been? Four? Five? Naruto wasn't quite sure, and knew he didn't have time to recount as Mizuki closed the distance once more. All that he could do was duck, dive, and pivot around the proctor until Mizuki finally called a halt. "Very good, Uzumaki-san; you show a high level of skill in taijutsu, something not seen in your previous tests."

Mizuki patted him on the shoulder, then moved to sit with Iruka who gave him an encouraging smile then said, "Now for the second part of your exam: Ninjutsu. You'll need to show a basic mastery of the following three techniques: Bunshin, Kawarimi, and Henge. Begin when ready."

Naruto took a deep breath as he focused on drawing up his chakra. While it was true that there was no rush to perform all three techniques, Naruto also knew that in the real world, in a real fight, he wouldn't have the luxury of preparing himself to do this technique or that. He'd have to do whatever he needed, back to back to back if he wanted to survive against a difficult opponent. It had been that line of reasoning that had had Chachamaru teach him to chain his techniques together, much like he would spells. Finish one, and have the last sign for it lead into the beginning of the next technique.

With that thought in mind, he focused on his first chain, one that was designed to escape pursuers for a brief moment and maybe even lose them entirely. "Kawarimi no jutsu!" he called as he finished the last seal. There was a flicker movement and Naruto simply ceased to be there, a log replacing him briefly before clattering to the ground. A moment later, there was a feminine giggle from the window, and both Iruka and Mizuki turned to find a blond haired preteen girl sitting on the windowsill, her dainty hands in the last handsigns of a technique. "Bunshin no jutsu." She whispered, her voice accompanied by the briefest puff of smoke. The clone stepped across the room, and acted as though it was going to pick up one of the headbands, until its hand passed through the table. It gave a sheepish grin, and then dissipated back into a puff of smoke. The girl jumped down from the windowsill and crossed the expanse to the proctors table, dispelling the technique mid-stride so that the face of one Uzumaki Naruto was grinning foxishly back at them.

"So, how'd I do?"

**00:06:23…**

"_I did it!"_ Naruto shouted as he bounced out of the academy doors, a smile on his face bright enough to possibly outshine the sun overhead. He ignored the glares sent his way as he looked back down at the headband held in his hands. Finally, after so many, many years hoping, training and waiting he had finally made it. He had finally achieved the title of _Genin_, his first step on the path to becoming a shinobi, a protector of Konoha. Still, he knew it didn't end here. There were still years of training ahead of him, years of struggle and conflict. For now though, he would put those thoughts to the side and simply bask in the warmth of his accomplishment. He couldn't wait to show Tenten! In fact, he was pretty sure she had mentioned that she would be swinging this way after her team's last mission to see how he did. Maybe she would show up soon? He could only hope.

"U-um, N-naruto-kun..?" came a soft, almost doe-like voice from behind him as he took the last step down from the academy door. Surprised to actually hear someone calling his name, he turned around to see who it was.

**C.H.A.C.H.A.M.A.R.U Data uplink complete! Uploading feed…**

**00:06:20**

Quietly, Chachamaru perched herself on a tree branch not far from the academy. She had come here with the plan to keep an eye out for Naruto, sure that the blond ball of sunshine would live up to that nickname had he passed. Had he not, she would be there for him, regardless. That said, she was in no way one to stifle him with 'motherly affection', and knew he would soon have his hands full as those few friends he trusted came to congratulate him.

"_I did it!"_ The words rung out over the treetops as the doors of the academy flew open and Chachamaru smiled warmly at his exuberance. To say that she was 'proud' of her student would be like saying a waterfall was wet – it was impossible to adequately cover the sensations suffusing her chest with such bland wordings. And speaking of students, Chachamaru noticed a certain young girl making her way down the stairs after Naruto. As he turned back to the shy dark haired girl, Chachamaru was reminded of how she had first noticed the young Hinata trailing after her charge. She'd found the girls actions and mannerisms when confronted by Chachamaru so very much alike that of her old friend and classmate, Nodoka, that it took no time at all to ascertain the young girls thoughts. Chachamaru could see that the girl had strength of character very much akin to Nodoka, and had wondered if all it would take to allow the girl to cultivate it was the same encouragement Nodoka had needed. She'd taken the time afterward to sit and talk with the young girl, and today would be the day to see if she had what it took.

**Naruto H.U.D connection reestablished! Resuming feed…**

**00:06:24**

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto queried, startled to hear the shy girl talk, let alone call him by his first name. He turned back to the girl, and noticed with a bit of concern just how red her face was. Was she ill perhaps? "Hey, are you okay Hinata-chan?" He asked as he stepped closer to her, yet his actions only caused her to withdraw even further into herself, her index fingers pressed together as if to form some ward against evil.

"I-I… I have s-something I… I need to tell you," she stammered out, her face reddening past that of a tomato, yet still she pressed on, oblivious of the gawking onlookers.

"Er, okay… Are you sure you don't want me to go get someone? You're really, really red." He replied, his voice laced with genuine concern.

"Wha-?" she replied, and then shook her head adamantly. "N-no I just… I mean… I've l-liked – I mean I admi—" she finally clenched her eyes shut, and clasped her hands together as if praying to some deity then shouted, "_Naruto-kun, I love you very much!"_

"Huh?" Naruto replied suavely. His brain tried to comprehend what she was saying but it was as if there was some kind of mental block there, preventing the words from making sense. Love? Her? Him? It just didn't compute.

"I-I've always… always watched you from afar. You were always so strong. Even when it seemed like nothing went right, you kept pushing, kept fighting - kept believing. And I-…I drew strength from that – from you. And I just-… I needed to tell you how I felt!" she exclaimed, and finally the words connected in his brain. His face heated nearly to the same degree as hers as he thought furiously about what to say – how to respond to a declaration like that. Yet before he could say anything, Hinata continued, a hitch in her voice as she spoke, "I-I'm not expecting anything from you, so please don't misunderstand as if I were trying to force you. I j-just—"

"Not even a day out of Academy, and you're already breaking hearts Chibi-kun? I expected better of you." Another voice sounded from behind Naruto, and he whirled to find his brown-haired friend smiling teasingly up at him.

"B-bun-chan!" he squeaked, "T-this isn't what it – I mean I barely-" yet this seemed the worst possible thing to say at that moment. Hinata's resolve broke a moment before she took off, fleeing the courtyard and leaving a stunned audience behind her.

"H-hinata!" Naruto called after her, but to no avail. Tenten rolled her eyes as she moved to his side.

"Smooth, Chibi-kun, real smooth." She said with a light smack upside his head, then continued, "Come on, we best see this through right now." With that, she led the way as the two sprinted out of the courtyard.

**C.H.A.C.H.A.M.A.R.U Data Uplink reestablished! Resuming feed…**

**00:06:27**

Chachamaru watched quietly as Naruto and Tenten gave chase to the young Hinata. Internally, Chachamaru worried that the entire event might have been too much too soon on the young girls shoulders, but she also knew that if anyone could set things right, it would be Naruto. The boy had a way of turning any problem into a momentary hindrance - a passing phase. She didn't doubt that given the time, he could practically turn any enemy presented him into an ally. And he would be the perfect one to help Hinata shatter her shell. All it had taken was for her to reach out.

That thought brought back Chachamaru's earlier thoughts and actions as she stood before the Hokage. She looked down at the headband presented her, knowing what it truly meant.

Responsibility.

She had a responsibility, not only to Naruto, but to the entire village now. Could she live up to that standard? She had been worried over that quandary ever since the position had first been offered her, yet it was only as she had stood before the Hokage, and forced herself to answer from the depths of her core that she found the answer. Her first, and foremost responsibility was to Naruto, and by extension, those he cared and trusted. He loved this village, and so she would fight for it. She would fight for him. Her responsibility was to teach, and guide him. Hopefully, the Genin team she had worked out with the Hokage would work out to that end.

Standing finally, she tied the headband around her waist then leapt from the tree to an adjacent building, making her way towards the residential district. She needed to meet with the Jonin that would be leading their squad and make sure all the arrangements were in order for tomorrows test, and ensure that there would be no problems between them. She smiled though as she heard Naruto's shouts in the distance. It would seem the legacy of 'Negi, The Lady Killer' truly lived on in the boy.

**Reinitializing Naruto H.U.D feed…**

**00:06:42**

"Gah, why the hell is she so fast?!" Naruto shouted over the rushing wind, and Tenten chuckled merrily in response.

"Don't you know the power of a woman scorned is greater then any jutsu or weapon in the world? She won't stop running until she's sure she's safely away!"

Naruto growled, and then replied, "It's not like that Bun-chan! I didn't scorn her at all! Damnit, this is getting out of hand!" He noted Hinata turn abruptly and dash across a small bridge, breaking off the main street and into a small park within the residential district.

"Bun-chan, see if you can't circle 'round and cut her off, I'll keep after her!" He shouted as he took off after Hinata, racing across the wooden bridge in pursuit. He didn't look back to see if the older girl had done as he'd asked but he didn't hear her footsteps across the bridge either, which meant she must have. Once on the opposite side, he drew on his magic to augment his speed, tripling it as he followed the trail left by the raven haired girl. It took him all of another ten minutes to catch up to the girl, a testament to the power of the emotions racing through her at the moment. Tenten had been on the mark when she'd said that "a woman scorned" is extremely powerful, though perhaps not for the reasons Tenten had been thinking of. Emotions often act as a powerful fuel for magic, and as magic was one half of Chakra, it only stood to reason that when an excess of emotion flooded one's body, it would increase the chakra flow as well. Thus, in their brief chase, Hinata had shown a surprising amount of natural talent for molding chakra the way it unconsciously flowed through her body and augmenting her speed, much in the same way Naruto's magic had with himself. Still, that was not the important thing at the moment.

When he'd caught hold of Hinata's arm, he'd had to yank rather hard to slow her down, and the action pulled her completely off balance as her legs attempted to carry her one way, and her arm pulled her in the other. She hadn't had a chance to recover, and as her legs gave out she crashed back into Naruto, sending them both toppling to the ground. When he finally had her in his grasp, he could hear the softest of sounds coming from her lips, and a moment more told him all he needed to know of her whimpering. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to his chest. And with each passing moment, her cries became louder and louder, until she was crying her heart out. This was the more important thing; the sobbing girl in his arms, needing someone to be there for her.

In every cry, every sound, Naruto found the sound resonate with a part of his soul. A part of him that had started to heal with Chachamaru's appearance in his life, but one that had never fully healed. It was the sound of a person who had never, not once in their life been touched lovingly. The sound of a lonely soul as it's walls shattered, and their cries of anguish finally tore free. In that moment, Naruto understood more about Hinata then he ever had before. And at the same time, he realized how little he really knew about her. What had happened, to bring her to this? What was her life like, that she would become nearly as broken as he was? He didn't know. And it bothered him.

In that single moment, he felt more kinship with this one girl then he had anyone else since Chachamaru's awakening, and deep down, Naruto found himself vowing that he wouldn't let her suffer it alone anymore.

When her cries finally subsided into whimpering sobs, the sun was just cresting the western horizon, it's light piercing through the trees to illuminate the small clearing the two preteens were in. Though Hinata had unconsciously shifted in his arms to make herself more comfortable, Naruto found that he didn't mind in the least, and simply contented himself with holding her until she felt comfortable enough to talk. When she did, she sat up slowly, whispering apologies for her behavior.

"Hinata." Naruto said sternly, yet softly, so as to cut through her diatribe. She froze mid-syllable, her jaw clamping shut as she looked up at him, her white within white eyes as round as saucers. He gave her a gentle smile, and then continued, "Look, Hinata, you don't need to apologize to me, okay? I understand. We all… we all need someone to cry on from time to time."

She shrunk into her shoulders ever so slightly then, and shook her head. "T-t-that's… that's not it, Naruto-kun."

"Then what?" He said with a slightly quizzical look on his face, to which Hinata bowed her head and looked away. "Hinata, look at me. Talk to me."

"I-I… I e-embarrassed you in front of your friend, and s-shamed my f-family with my o-outburst." She stated, drawing a startled squawk from Naruto before she continued. "I'm s-sorry for what I said. P-please, forget I e-even said a-anything." _That I even exist._

Though she hadn't said the words, Naruto could feel them hanging on the tip of her tongue, and after a moments silence, he let out a sigh and shook his head. "Neh, I can't do that Hina-chan. Guess you're just stuck with a loser like me as a friend, huh?" This time, it was her turn to squawk in surprise, and his turn to continue as she sputtered, "And as far as earlier… Well… Haha, sorry Hina-chan I can't give you an answer or anything. I'm not that smart yet, and I barely know ya."

He pushed himself to his feet then, and brushed himself off as he did, Hinata's eyes glued to his form. He smiled down at her then, his ever famous, shit eating bright-as-the-sun smile and extended his hand to her, "So let me be your friend, okay? So I can learn all about you and you about me. Okay?"

Slowly, she took his hand, a look of wonder and amazement on her face, and whispered in the softest of tones, one simple, simple word. "Okay."

**00:07:45…**

It was shortly after Naruto and Hinata's agreement to be friends that Tenten had made herself known. She stepped casually out of the shade of the nearby trees, walked right up to Hinata, and gave the younger girl a hug, accompanied by the words, "Welcome to the club." Hinata had blushed a brilliant red at that, and sputtered about how she was sorry, and how she hadn't meant to cause such a scene and that she was supposed to act like a proper lady and other such nonsense. Tenten had promptly sighed, smacked her upside the head, than draped an arm around Hinata's shoulders. "You, Hina-chan, need to chill. Stop worrying about being so proper! You're among friends now. And friends don't care about all that crap." With that she turned to Naruto. "So, we grabbing some food or what?"

Naruto's smile grew even wider as he pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! Ichiraku Ramen! I've been dying to go there all day, and you promised you'd treat me where ever I wanted to go if I passed!"

"W-wha-?!" Tenten had sputtered, but to no affect as Naruto had already grabbed hold of Hinata's hand and dashed off. "Come on Hina-chan, Lemme show you the best food stand in _all_ of Konoha! Trust me; your mouth will be watering just by being _near_ it!"

"Dammit Chibi-kun, we said we'd talk about this! Naruto! Hey, listen to me you damn orange bastard! Come back here!"

And thus, the two friends squabbled all the way to the ramen stand, Hinata confusingly stationed between the two, yet happy just to be near them. They'd each ordered their own bowls of ramen once at the stand, and from there the conversation had taken a much more pleasant turn when Hinata asked softly, "S-so, um… how you two meet?"

Naruto exchanged glances with Tenten at that, and at Tenten's shrug, Naruto replied, "Tenten's parents run a blacksmith shop here in the village."

"About a year ago," Tenten picked up where Naruto left off, "Naruto here came waltzing into our store while I was watching the front, and asked in this really annoying voice, 'do you have any metal samples?' pffft. As if a blacksmith shop _wouldn't _have samples."

"You'd be surprised." Naruto shot back then continued in a deadpanned voice, "most of the shops were overpriced jerks. And those that weren't, either didn't have samples, or what they had was so crappy it wasn't even worth the trip."

"That's what you get for going to any other store but mine." Tenten rebuttaled, and Naruto tried to counter.

"But Bun-chan, I didn't even _know_ your store existed at the time!"

"And how you survived for so long before then, I'll never know."

Naruto hung his head at that, and a moment later, their meal was served. After saying a quick thanks, they all dug into their respective bowls, letting a friendly silence settle over them. It was after Naruto had finished his first bowl that the silence was broken, Hinata once again letting her curiosity get the better of her. "S-so, why were you looking for metal samples?"

"Ah!" Naruto said as he smiled cheekily and held up a finger, causing Hinata to blush and Tenten to roll her eyes. A moment later he withdrew his other hand from his hip, and presented Hinata with what looked like a wooden and iron cylinder, as long as his forearm. "This. It's called a 'pistol'."

"Naruto had gotten the design from god-only-knows-where. He'd been trying to build it for forever, but you need strong iron and quality wood to support such a design." Tenten piped in, and Naruto nodded as he reached the barrel.

"It's a single shot, breech loaded pistol. That means this," he said, snapping the barrel downward and revealing the metal bullet loaded into the breech, "is where the pistol is loaded. It's called the 'breech' for obvious reasons. This baby is pretty powerful, and generally blows a hole clean through whatever it hits; thus why you need strong materials in its construction. Shoddy materials mean that more then likely, this bad boy would blow up in your face. "

Hinata nodded, and though Naruto doubted she fully understood everything he said, she seemed to trust him, and be willing to take his word for it. With a shrug, he snapped the barrel closed, and slid the pistol back into its holster on his leg. It wasn't like she really needed to know every facet of his craftsmanship.

"At any rate, Tenten's dad was willing to work with me, and let me even use his furnace to craft the metal."

"Dad looked over his designs, and I swear dad must have had Naruto rework the framework a hundred times before he gave it his approval." Tenten intoned as she finished her own bowl of ramen, and ordered a second. Naruto gave a small laugh at her words, "Yeah, Kazu-sensei was really strict about how the metal was forged. I'm pretty sure he had an idea of what I was trying to make, and understood just how dangerous it is. In a way, I really respect him for how hard he worked me on that."

"Re-eally?" Tenten drawled in a teasing voice, stabbing her chopsticks at the younger boy. "And here I could have sworn I heard you cursing him to the deepest bowls of the underworld the last time he broke that hammer over your head."

"Part of the process." Naruto deadpanned, and wouldn't budge an inch more in his assessment. The group lulled into a comfortable silence then, and it was as Naruto was on his fourth bowl of Miso ramen that he declared he would return after a short restroom break. Tenten growled at him that he didn't need to be as frank about it as she noticed Hinata's blush, and Naruto gave a sheepish apology as he rushed off.

It was on his return, making his way through the alleyway between the ramen stand and the adjacent building where the backdoor restroom was located, that Naruto came across a familiar face, his long silver-white hair hanging down to his chin and giving his serious express a stern tone. Curious, Naruto approached the older man. "Mizuki-sensei?"

"Good evening, Naruto. Sorry to have to do this out here, but I needed to speak to you alone." The older chuunin said, his expression never wavering.

"What's going on, Sensei?" Naruto asked, and Mizuki let out a forlorn sigh as he dug into his vest pocket.

"Personally I don't agree with the council on this, but your ability thus far has been noted. It has been decided that you will be given one more test, Naruto. This time it is to determine whether or not you are eligible to be promoted directly to Special Chuunin status." He said as he withdrew from his pocket a black coated scroll with a thin red cord tied around it.

"A-are you serious?!" Naruto nearly shouted, but was quelled by the glower of disapproval on Mizuki's face. Naruto whispered an apology, and the older man shook his head before presenting the scroll to him. "All the details of the test are recorded within this scroll. Do you accept?"

Too stunned for words, Naruto simply nodded in agreement as he reached his hand out, taking the scroll with trembling fingers. Opening it, he quickly read over the details of the test, even as Mizuki summarized for him.

"Your main objective is to retrieve the 'scroll of sealing'. It bears the same marking as the original one for ease of identification, but is blank on the inside. All Chuunin and Jonin on duty around the tower have been made aware of your test, and will be reacting as if it is a live fire mission. Plan your assault accordingly. Once you have the scroll, you are to proceed to training field eighty-six, where you will be met by a chuunin instructor. They will give you your final grade, should you make it that far. You have one hour to prepare and begin you assault. Good luck." With that, Mizuki withdrew, leaving the young Genin with his thoughts. His mind whirled with the possibilities of what could come with his new rank. But was he ready?

Perhaps. The council seemed to think so, but Naruto himself wasn't sure. In the end though, he knew there would be no backing out of this now that he'd accepted the assignment, and even if he somehow failed, at least he would learn a great deal about _how_ to perform such a mission.

Tucking the scroll into his pocket, he began double checking what he had on him. He hadn't prepped for a test like this, and with the time limit on when to begin, he also knew that he wouldn't have time to go home and grab more stuff. He'd just have to improvise.

"Ah, there you are Naruto! We were starting to wonder if you'd fallen in." Tenten quipped teasingly as Naruto rounded the corner back into the light of the stand, and though the boy smiled, his mind was occupied with what lay ahead of him.

"Not this time." He retorted half-heartedly, then dug into his back pocket and retrieved his Gamabunta wallet. "I gotta call it short guys. I'm not feelin' too well, and think I need to get on home." With that, he laid enough money on the table to pay for all three of their meals, plus extra. "Sorry. I'll see y'all later, okay?"

"A-ah, Naruto-kun!" Hinata squeaked as she shot from her chair and grabbed hold of his arm yet instantly retreated within herself when he turned to her, her hands coming up to shield her as she pressed her index and thumb fingers together in a nervous habit. "U-um, i-if you're n-not feeling well… Um… would you like me to… walk you home?" She said, and then blushed scarlet and nearly squeaked in a rushed, and high-pitched voice, "I-I mean, J-just to make sure you get there alright!"

Naruto laughed nervously at that, and then shook his head. "N-no, I'll be alright Hina-chan. Really. You just stay here and enjoy your meal with Tenten, okay?" He said as he waved goodnight to the two of them. Turning then, he quickly darted down the street, then paused long enough to shout back, "I'll see you for squad placements, Hina-chan!" With that, he turned once more and rushed off in the direction of the tower, his thoughts on the coming mission. He only hoped he had the strength to overcome it.

**00:08:40…**

**A/N:** HOLY FREAKIN HELL.

Okay, first off, lemme just express my gratitude to everyone who has read and enjoyed the story thus far. 22 reviews, over 60 follows, and 55 favorites, IN A WEEK! That's absolutely insane! I hope everyone continues to read and enjoy this story as I write it. This will probably be the only other chapter to come out in a weeks time, unfortunately, as despite having the story planned out in my head, I work like crazy and thus don't always get the time I need/want to write.

With all that said, I do want to clear a few things up. First off, **there is no set pairing**. This is not registered as a "romance" fic because that's not the direction I'm taking this. This is a story first and foremost, not a Harlequin novel about two people randomly getting together. As you can tell from reading this chapter, Chachamaru takes more of a motherly/teacher role when it comes to Naru – however, she still plays a very prominent roll in his life. Hinata expressed her feelings for him but note – SHE'S TEN. It's called a childhood crush. Sure, it can develop into more, but that takes time and effort. MAYBE should this story expand across the timeskip something will develop there. Then again, there are multiple relationships that are likely to develop all across the story. That's what a story is – a moment in a characters life that we are given privy to.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I write for my own enjoyment. I write to make a story that is worth telling. If you have a problem with that, then I apologize. Perhaps one day we will find a common ground. But I write this story the way I want to. That's how I've always been.

Sincerely,

Mist


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